1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telephone handset and cradle assemblies and, in particular, to telephone handset and cradle assemblies that are configured to be used in moving vehicles such as airplanes.
2. Background of the Invention
Telephones are increasingly being used in vehicles such as automobiles, trains and airplanes. The motion of the vehicle, and in particular vehicles such as airplanes, presents unique difficulties for designers of telephone handsets and cradles. Specifically, the motion of an airplane requires that the handset be securely held inside of its cradle when not in use. However, when the user wishes to make use of the telephone, the user must be able to easily release the handset from the cradle.
One typical approach to this problem is to have the handset secured within the cradle by some sort of latch mechanism. The latch mechanism can be released by the user moving a lever or by the user inserting a credit card into the latch release mechanism. Once the latch mechanism is disabled, the handset portion is then released from the cradle.
A problem that arises with handsets that are fully released when the latch mechanism is disabled is that the handset can fall out of the hands of the user. For example, in an airplane, if the ride is turbulent, or if the user has an extended reach in order to access the telephone, the handset may fall out of the user's hands when released and fall onto the floor, or onto other passengers.
One effort to solve this particular problem is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,597 to Kepley III, et al. In the Kepley patent, the handset is secured in the cradle by a movable tab. Once the movable tab is moved, an ejector apparatus urges the handset into a partially ejected position. The cradle however includes a catch which engages with a detent mounted on the adjacent surface of the handset and which prevents the handset from being completely ejected from the cradle. The user must then pull on the handset so that the detent disengages with the catch on the cradle to completely remove the handset from the cradle.
One problem associated with the handset cradle assembly of the Kepley patent is that the handset is not easily accessible to the user in the partially ejected position. Since the catch on the cradle and the detent on the handset are mounted toward the bottom surface of the cradle and handset respectively, the travel of the handset from the secured position to the partially ejected position is limited. Hence, the handset in the partially ejected position only extends outwardly from the upper surface of the cradle a small amount, which makes the handset hard to grasp.
A further problem associated with the handset cradle assembly of the Kepley patent is that the catch on the cradle is made of a non-deformable plastic and is fixedly mounted in the cradle so as to not have any give. It can be appreciated that repeatedly removing the handset from the cradle, and thereby repeatedly disengaging the detent and the catch, can result in fatigue in the plastic catch, eventually causing the catch to break.
A still further problem associated with the handset cradle assembly of the Kepley patent is that the ejection and catch assembly is complicated. This assembly requires that there be springs and moving parts located in chambers formed in the cradle. It can certainly be appreciated that forming chambers in the cradle and positioning components therein can be costly in terms of manufacturing.
From the foregoing it can be appreciated that there is a need for a handset cradle assembly which is simple in construction, provides easy access to the user and is less prone to breakage due to fatigue.